UK ships intercept £350m worth of cocaine

UK ships have seized around three-and-a-half tonnes of cocaine in an operation in the southwest Caribbean.

The drugs, which had an estimated street value of £350 million, were seized in a joint operation involving ships from the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary on Wednesday.

The Royal Navy guided missile destroyer HMS Southampton was replenishing fuel from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Grey Rover off the coast off Miami, when a suspect cargo ship was spotted.

Southampton broke away from the replenishment to lead the charge at nearly 30 knots to form a coordinated pincer movement with Grey Rover to trap the suspect vessel, the MV Rampage.

Southampton's Lynx helicopter was also launched and it intercepted the MV Rampage as the ships appeared over the horizon.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "The vessel MV Rampage, which had apparently earlier had a different name, was taken completely by surprise, as boarding teams from both Southampton and Grey Rover swooped in by fast rigid inflatable boat at sunset.

"After a search of the vessel, a large number of cocaine bales were discovered, packed in a forward section."

HMS Southampton had been working closely with the United States Coastguard and Royal Netherlands Navy authorities.

Commander Rob Vitali, the Commanding Officer of HMS Southampton, said: "This was a particularly well coordinated operation. The success of this seizure will send a clear message of determination to stop the smuggling of illegal drugs - and we are good at it."

Defence Secretary John Reid welcomed the news. He said: "This is another great success for the Royal Navy in countering the trafficking of illegal drugs, which destroy the lives of families in the United Kingdom and around the world."

Both HMS Southampton and RFA Grey Rover had been deployed for just over five months on a patrol, which as taken them from West Africa to the Falkland Islands and then Brazil and the Caribbean.

The primary mission of the ships is the wider security of the British Overseas Territories, including helping with disaster relief, but counter narcotics operations form a major part of their daily work.

Both ships return to the UK at the end of the month.

The last drug bust by the Royal Navy netted two tonnes of cocaine, worth £200 million, which was seized in the Caribbean by HMS Cumberland last October.

(KMcA)